HARRISBURG, Pa.— In response to the passage and signing of HB 301, which will expand Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC), yes. every kid. Government Affairs Director Andrew Yates issued the following statement:
“The expansion of the Educational Improvement Tax Credit and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit marks a first step toward empowering every family in Pennsylvania with customized education options for their kids. This bipartisan effort ensures more Pennsylvania families have increased flexibility to choose the best learning environments for their children’s unique needs.
“Thank you to Gov. Josh Shapiro, Rep. Patrick J. Harkins, and the rest of the Pennsylvania General Assembly for their commitment to Pennsylvania kids. We look forward to working together to expand these options further, ensuring each and every child in the Keystone State can access educational opportunities that suit them best.”
The Educational Improvement Tax Credit and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit offer scholarships funded by private donations. These scholarships are available to students based on their family’s income or if they are zoned for low-achieving schools. Each year, the program turns away scholarship applications; for the 2021–2022 school year, more than 63,000 scholarship applications went unfunded due to funding caps.
The expansion of these programs includes:
- A $62 million increase for EITC K-12 scholarships.
- A $20 million increase for OSTC K-12 scholarships.
- A $48 million increase in funding for Economically Disadvantaged Schools where more than 50% of students receive these scholarships.
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